The field of art to which the invention pertains comprises sighting devices providing indicia for aiming a projectile type weapon such as an archery bow and/or gun.
Aiming sights are commonly used as a reference indicia on various weaponry such archery bows, guns, etc. For archery purposes they are available from a variety of commercial sources and/or may be provided as original equipment by the manufacture. The sight for archery usually consists of a bracket secured to a sight assembly on the bow to support a plurality of vertically spaced sight elements extending cantilevered to an end adjacent a vertical sight plane. Each of the different sight elements typically represent distinct target distances from which the archer can select in the aiming of his arrow toward an intended target. For guns, the sight usually consists of a scope, a laser sight, or a pair of aligned sighting elements mounted on the gun barrel.
Because use of such weapons frequently occur under low light conditions when visibility of the sight element can become poor, if not virtually non-existent, various sight units have been developed that gather ambient light to amplify visibility. Such units for archery have generally consisted of a light enhancement sight unit disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,394 in which metal clad fiber optic sight pins are used to create an illuminated sight bead. U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,631 discloses use of molded plastic plate members comprised of fluorescent dye translucent plastic that absorb ambient light waves, conducted to the plate edges. U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,124 discloses use of a dye impregnated light conducting plastic formed as an elongated tapered and rigid pin having a distal end to which collected light is conducted. In the parent application hereof, there is disclosed a light gathering fluorescent optical fiber that focuses gathered light at its ends with a significantly enhanced light intensity.
It is an object of the invention to provide novel sight units useful as aiming indicia for a variety of projectile type weapons.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel holder to enable mounting the sight unit of the previous object as a replacement on an existing sight assembly or adapted for installation on original equipment.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a novel light gathering sight unit as in the previous objects having a sight pin affording significantly enhanced illumination at its distal ends.
This invention relates to novel forms of sighting devices for use on projectile type weapons. More specifically, the invention relates to such devices useful as a replacement, add-on, or to be installed on original equipment as the aim indicia for the weapon. By means of a selected fiber utilized in the unit, significantly enhanced light glow is provided as the aim indicia even under relatively low light conditions.
The foregoing is achieved in accordance with the invention utilizing a predetermined length of pin formed of a fluorescent dye fiber composition. An enlargement at the distal end of the fiber comprises a lens that serves as the aim point indicia of the sight unit and can be mounted singularly or in cluster forms via mounting structures appropriately suitable for the various types of weapons. The fiber can be of a type known as a fluorescent optical fiber or a scintillating fiber characterized as absorbing ambient light through the body which focuses to a bright glow at the lens comprising the aim point indicia. The superior brightness, smaller size, unique fiber shape, lens and distinctive fluorescent colors distinguish the fiber hereof from other commercially available sight pin products. A protective transparent sleeve can be utilized over a partial length of the fiber where secured by a holder or bracket.
The holder or bracket serves to mount and secure the fiber onto an assortment of sight assemblies and may be comprised of a clear polycarbonate, acrylic, or other clear or transparent composition uniquely shaped to receive and secure the fiber while accommodating selective position settings of the aim point indicia. Being adjustably settable, the holder for archery applications can be oriented and positioned by the archer on the sight assembly so as to place the fiber aim point in a location preferred and selected by the archer.
A multiplicity of sight holders and fiber aim points can be assembled to create multiple aim points on a particular sight assembly. Holders for that purpose can be arranged in various configurations to create very close groupings of aim points that function as separate distance indicators on the sight unit.
For gun applications, the holder typically supports the pin along the barrel by adapting existing sight units or substituting an appropriate add-on unit.
The above noted features and advantages of the invention as well as other superior aspects thereof will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.